The Wheels Of Destiny
by IloveNaruIno
Summary: After a terrible argument with her dad, Ino finds her whole life turned upside down. But it might just be the best thing that's ever happened to her, and her best friend too. NaruIno/SasuSaku. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

_**-Author's note-**_

 _ **Hey guys! I am so sorry for being absent for so long. Life got in the way and I also had major writer's block meaning total lack of inspiration. This time I come to you with a double pairing story. NaruIno/SasuSaku. I'll be updating as much as possible. Here are the first five chapters. One more thing. Just because NaruIno isn't canon doesn't mean I'm going to stop loving and writing about this pairing. There you have it. Enjoy! Please review with constructive criticism and ideas on how to continue the story!**_

 _ **P.S SasuSaku will come in later chapters. Working on it! :)**_

* * *

Ino was furious. Her father had invited her to his office and told her she was going to marry some spoiled rich kid. Apparently, being the CEO of the Konoha Bank wasn't enough, he wanted more money. To think he'd even sell his daughter to obtain it!  
She wasn't going to stand for it. She stormed out of the bank into the streets. She won't oblige, no way. Little did she know, life works in mysterious ways...

* Meanwhile, somewhere on the road... *

"...Yes, that's what he said, Sasuke!". An angry blonde boy in a limo exclaimed.

"So you're going to marry a girl you've never even met? What about that girl, Hinata, you have a crush on?" Sasuke, on the other side of the phone, was rather amused.

"I haven't even had the chance to confess to her! Just when I thought life was going..."

At that moment, he saw a silhouette of a girl running across the road right in front of his car. At this pace, she was going to... "Oh no!"

"Naruto?!"

…

"What is he thinking, selling me off to some rich kid! Like I would allow that!" Ino was yelling on the street, and started crossing the road without paying attention to the traffic. Suddenly, she realized that an orange sports car was going straight at her. She tried running in order to avoid it, but then...

Naruto slammed on his breaks so hard, he thought he had destroyed them for sure. He stopped a few centimeters in front of the terrified girl. She was covering her eyes and had curled up in panic.

"Hey miss, what the heck do you think you're doing? You could have gotten us both killed! And..." He was about to continue, but when the girl looked up to him, he saw she was crying just moments ago. Her make-up was completely smudged.

Ino looked up at the boy who was yelling at her. She opened her mouth to retaliate, but when her eyes met with his beautiful cerulean ones, she was at a loss for words.  
.

What was meant to come out as a barrage of insults came out as a yelp and a muffled sorry.

Naruto sighed.

He pulled her close and patted her back to comfort her.

"Come on, we can't stay on the street forever. Get in my car, I'll take you home."

"I don't want to go home." , Ino pouted.

"Ok then, we'll go to a cafe somewhere. Do you want to go for a drink? You look like you could use something to warm you up a bit."

Ino thought for a moment.

"Alright, but don't let this get to your head. This is not a date.", she said, as she flipped her beautiful platinum hair. "I'll just need to fix my make-up in the car and I'm ready to go".

"Of course, of course" , Naruto said, as he lightly chuckled.

 _This girl is really interesting._


	2. Chapter 2

After Ino fixed herself up, they fastened their seatbelts and started driving.

"Hey, do you have any place you like to go?", she timidly asked him.

"Well, there is one place, but it's not so luxurious and fancy, as the places you're used to.", he replied with a smirk.

 _This guy! The nerve!_ Ino thought angrily.

But she did not mind not going to a fancy place right now. She just wanted some peace.

"Okay then, you can take me there. What's the name of the place?"

"It's called Sketch Bar."

"Never heard of it."

"Didn't even think for a second that you did.", he smirked again.

"Stop teasing me!" Ino yelled, in a very frustrated tone.

The laughter that followed made Ino think that this guy is the human equivalent of sunshine. It was so radiant... She could bask in his radiance all day.

As soon as she realized the train of her thoughts, she scolded herself.

 _Get a grip, girl! You've just met him. You'll just get your hopes up and be hurt if you go on like that._

She had been lost in thoughts for a while and didn't notice when they arrived.

"Earth calling Blondie! Let's get out, we're here", added Naruto, along with a barely audible laugh.

"Hey! You're blonde too!" was all it took out of Ino for Naruto to break out in full-on laughter.

Seeing him laugh like that was contagious, so Ino found herself laughing as well.

In spite of his constant teasing and cocky attitude, Naruto was a gentleman, so he opened the car door for Ino to step out. She blushed at the gesture.

"Th-Thank you, um..."

"Naruto."

"Thank you Naruto".

"And what is your name, Blondie?"

"Well this Blondie is named Ino" , she said while pouting.

"Ok Ino," he said, as he extended his hand for her to hold, "Let's celebrate our meeting."

"Might as well make the best of it", she agreed, with a smile on her face this time.


	3. Chapter 3

They took a seat at the table nearest to the window and ordered their drinks. Both wanted something warm, so Ino decided on hot chocolate while Naruto ordered a cup of black tea.

"I didn't know you like such a basic drink", teased Ino, pleased that she could tease him back.

"What kind of guy do you think I am? Do you think I drink alcohol all the time?"

"Yeah", said Ino blatantly.

"Oof, that hurt my pride", commented Naruto, a smirk reappearing on his face.

Ino was about to throw another smartass remark when Naruto's face suddenly got serious.

"Hey, Ino."

"Yes?"

"Would you tell me what happened to you before our incident?"

That was a question she did not want to answer. All the events from earlier that day made her blood boil and her expression became anxious.

Seeing that his question made her feel uneasy, he extended his hand and took hers, squeezing it lightly.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to tell me if..."

Ino raised her other hand, as to stop him. "I think it's alright for you to know, after what almost happened to us."

For some reason, she felt she could trust this guy, although she had just met him.

"Well, where do I start..."

"From the beginning?", teased Naruto once again.

Ino chose to ignore the teasing and started to talk.

"As you may be aware, I come from a rich family. My father is a rather greedy man and he wanted to sell me off to an even richer family. It's been very tough since my mom passed away. He grew cold and distant. He is always entranced with his work and always wants to earn more. While gaining money, he lost all sense of love and compassion. He no longer sees me as his daughter, I'm just an object to be sold. I really...", she could not finish as she started to sob softly.

Naruto felt like he understood her all too well. Not too long ago he found himself in an almost same predicament. He got up from his seat, sat next to her and gave her a hug.

Ino stiffened at his touch but slowly relaxed, as her sobs came to a halt.

She realized she wanted to ask him the same question.

"What about you, Naruto? You seemed pretty disturbed yourself".

He didn't let go of her, instead he just backed away so he could look at her face.

"Other than almost killing you," he began, which earned a slight chuckle from Ino, "I found myself in a pretty much the same situation."

"What?!" Ino exclaimed, surprised.

"Yes. My father believes it is time for me to find a proper wife for myself and continue our family business. But I already like someone and I don't plan to marry just any rich girl. I want to a least get a chance to confess to her."

For some reason, hearing this made Ino feel as if her heart was about to explode from jealousy.

She squirmed out from his grip and reached for her bag.

"Here's the money for the drink. Thanks for everything, I have to go."

"But you hardly even drank it! Come on, stay with me. What's up with you suddenly? Sit down".

He pulled her back to her seat and sat across from her.

"Oh, and by the way, I never let ladies pay for their drinks". Naruto smirked once again.

"Do you do anything but smirk all day?!" Ino suddenly snapped.

Naruto looked at her with a startled expression, causing her to apologize.

"Sorry, I... I've been through a lot."

"I know. We both have."

That concluded their explanations as they continued chattering about various subjects while enjoying their drinks.


	4. Chapter 4

He noticed that, in spite of her seeming brash and spoiled, they had a lot in common. They both loved traveling, going out with friends and going to the gym almost every day.

"Well, that explains why you look so attractive", complimented Naruto, as Ino simply replied,

in a manner so expected of her:

"Duh!"

Naruto couldn't help himself and could hardly stifle his laughter.

Ino pouted once again. She looked him over, noticing his broad back, strong arms, lean torso and thought _'Well you look damn good yourself'._

"Thanks". This time he had a huge grin on his face, along with a barely visible blush on his cheeks.

"Huh?"

"You've just told me I look damn good."

Now it was Ino's turn to blush, as she was completely unaware that she had voiced her thoughts.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, Naruto. You won't hear me say that again."

"Ino... What exactly do you mean?" Although it came off as teasing, he suddenly had a hunch she meant more than simple teasing.

"After I return home, my father will surely start preparing the engagement party. Since I stormed out of his company earlier, I may even be banned from going out for a while.

Not just that, I am about to be engaged, and you like a girl already, so I think it's best we don't meet again."

Naruto listened to her carefully, although every word she said made him feel sad and lonely.

 _What's up with me? I've just met this girl, this feeling makes no sense._ he thought.

More importantly, he had to answer her.

"Are you just going to give up without even putting up a fight?"

Even though she wanted to say no, she knew her father was a persistent man. Once he set his sights on something, it was as good as done.

"Unfortunately, yes. I can't stand up against my father the way I am now. And you?"

"I am going to fight for my life. I haven't been able to choose the life I've lead up to now, but I will choose my future."

Ino could only stare at him in amazement. There was a lot more to this guy than meets the eye.

She wanted to get to know him more, but it was time to face her destiny.

They got up to leave. Naruto took care of the payment, not without Ino's protests, though.

Once they were out, Ino started walking away.

"Where do you think you're going? It's almost nighttime."

She stopped in her tracks at his words and looked around. Indeed, the sky was painted with pink and red hues, as the sun was slowly setting, signifying the end of yet another day.

She had to admit she felt restless walking alone and wanted to ask him for help.

Before she had a chance to do that, he gestured towards his car and said:

"Get in, I'll drive you home."

She agreed and stepped into the car once again.

She gave him directions to her home from the town center and he knew where he needed to go.

He's been to that district once, as a child. His childhood friend, Sakura, used to live there. He hadn't seen her since and wondered what she was like now and if she still lived there.

The car ride was quiet and smooth. She looked around the car and noticed he was driving a Lexus RC.

It was metallic orange and had a very sleek appearance.

She knew those cars cost a fortune.

 _Just who is this guy? Not many people having a family business can afford this type of car..._

Her train of thought was interrupted by the buzzing of her phone.

"Ino pig, where the hell are you?!" shouted the voice on the other side of the phone as soon as she answered the call.

"Forehead, quit yelling, geez! Ok, this is what happened..."

Ino went on and told her everything from the beginning to the current moment.

"And let me guess, now you like this guy?" , Sakura said in a clearly amused tone.

Ino could feel her cheeks heating up.

"I-I do not!" she tried to explain, but she just earned an earnest laugh from her friend.

"We'll be there soon. Meet me in front of my house in 10 minutes, okay?"

"Ok Pig, and you'd better be in one piece."

Ino hung up with an exasperated sigh.

"Looks like your friend was very worried about you", Naruto said in a quiet voice.

"Yeah, she always panics like that."

They drove for a little more as Ino instructed him to park in front of the huge teal mansion.

In front of this mansion he saw a familiar sight: a girl with short, pink hair, gazing ahead with emerald eyes. He couldn't believe it. Was it really her?

Sakura...


	5. Chapter 5

As Ino exited the car, Sakura run up to her and hugged her tightly.

Ino hugged back just as tight and sighed contently.

"Never thought I'd be so glad to see you again, Forehead", she said quietly.

Sakura laughed and replied: "Likewise, Pig. Now who's the asshole who almost hit you?"

"That would be me."

Sakura looked behind Ino, only to spot a more mature appearance of a person she once held very dear as a child.

"Naruto...? Is... Is it really you? I... It's been so long...", Sakura could barely contain her excitement.

Naruto was just as excited as he hastily walked over to Sakura and pulled her into a huge bear hug.

"It's me, Sakura-chan."

Not sooner than he hugged her, she slapped him so hard he almost flew to the other side of the street.

"Hey! What was that for!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"For leaving without a word for all those years and not once getting in touch!"

Naruto felt ashamed at himself. Once he moved away from this neighborhood, he decided to cut off contact with everyone in hopes of diminishing the pain of missing them, but it was to no avail. It was especially difficult to cut Sakura off, as she had always been like a sister to him.

He decided to convey those feelings to her.

"Oww... Sakura-chan, I thought that if I cut you off, it would hurt less. But it didn't. I'm so sorry.

Any chance you could forgive me?"

"You idiot! You're lucky Ino moved here or I would have found you and killed you!" But then her eyes softened and she whispered: "I've missed you so much."

All the while, Ino stared at them, completely dumbfounded.

"Hold on... You two know each other, Forehead?"

Naruto was the first to speak.

"Uh, yeah. You see, I've lived here since I was born until about five years ago. My dad's company suddenly expanded and we moved to the neighborhood closest to the company so he could both work and spend time with me and mom. I was a kid, I thought it would be easier to simply disappear than try to keep in touch, and..."

"And you ruined all the friendships you had," continued Sakura, "I was sure I would never ever forgive you for what you did."

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan...", pouted Naruto with a sad look plastered on his normally beaming face.

As Ino watched the exchange, she couldn't help but feel touched by their reunion but another thought also occupied her head. She decided to voice it.

"What company does your father own, Naruto?"

Sakura answered the question instead. "He didn't tell you? His father is the owner of Uzumaki Enterprise."

 _Uzumaki... Where have I heard that before?_

 ** _-flashback-_**

 _"Ino, it's time for you to consider thinking your future." spoke her dad as soon as she entered his office._

 _"Well hello to you too dad!", replied Ino, vexed because of the lack of greeting. Even that had become a rare occurrence. "What exactly do you mean?"_

 _"Ino, you are 20 years old. You are already eligible for marriage but have not yet found anyone who could be your husband."_

 _"Dad, you keep pestering me over this. I do not want to marry. I want to be a florist and travel the world. I have told you..."_

 _He did not let her finish and raised his voice instead. "Ino! You will let go of this foolish dream this instant! Since you're so reluctant, I have taken it upon myself to_

 _choose a suitable husband for you. The son of Minato Uzumaki, owner of the Uzumaki Enterprise. Just imagine how lavishly you'll live! You'll have anything you want!_

 _We will live like kings, having the Uzumakis as our in-laws! We..."_

 _This time, it was Ino who raised her voice. "NO! You will NOT sell me off! I can't believe you would do that! You're... You're so cruel!"_

 _With this she stormed out of the building._

 ** _-end flashback-_**

Sakura and Naruto watched in horror as all color faded from Ino's face and she started falling. The last thing Ino remembers before losing consciousness is being caught by a pair of strong arms, and the worried faces of two people she had just talked to.

 _So he is Uzumaki... Naruto Uzumaki._


	6. Chapter 6

After a few minutes, Ino came back to her senses.

"Ino, are you okay?"

She looked up to see Naruto's beautiful blue eyes. Suddenly she was aware of their close proximity and that he was, in fact, holding her in his arms. This realization made her porcelain skin get tinted with a pink hue.

She scrambled to get up and away from him.

"Yes! Don't make a fuss! I just haven't eaten anything for a while and I felt weak."

Sakura frowned. She knew Ino was hiding something. But that had to wait.

"Okay Ino pig. You're both coming to my place. Ino needs to rest and Naruto and I can catch up."

Ino only groaned while Naruto gave and excited "Dattebayo!" with a huge smile.

This was going to be a long day.

-after a few hours-

Sakura and Naruto were happily catching up in her living room.

"Sakura-chan, I forgot how huge your house was! I could still get lost in here!"

Sakura laughed and smacked him playfully, adding, "I bet you could still get lost anywhere just like when we were children!"

Ino couldn't help but giggle at this last statement. She was laying on the bed and overheard them from Sakura's room, which was a bit far from the living room, but seeing as the two seemed to compete who was going to be louder, she could hear pretty much every word they said.

Although she was happy the two found each other, she was also overwhelmed by her earlier discovery.

She met the one who her father wanted to set her up with. She almost even liked the guy, she told herself. But in the end she knew it was much more than just almost. I mean who could blame her… He was the very definition of charming.

Lost in her thoughts, she failed to notice the living room suddenly went silent. The bedroom door shut with a click.

Startled, Ino looked up to see Sakura with a concerned look.

"Hey, Ino."

The lack of the usual honorific surprised Ino. This meant only one thing. Sakura was going to have a serious conversation with her.

"Hello, Sakura." Ino replied in the same manner.

"Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I must have been too tired."

But knowing Ino, Sakura knew this was a lie. Ino was like a spring of endless energy, seeing her tired was as likely as seeing a unicorn.

"Ino, cut it out. I know it's not true. I will not beat around the bush anymore. Tell me at once what happened."

Seeing that she wasn't going to get out of this without spilling the beans, Ino sighed exasperatedly and

began talking.

"Fine, Forehead… I am being forced by my father to marry someone for the sake of financial prosperity, he said. As if we already don't have enough..."

"How is this related to what happened earlier?" Sakura asked.

"The man he wants me to marry is the son of Minato Uzumaki."

"What?! Naruto?!"

"Forehead, shh! I didn't know HE was the one! I stormed out of my father's office earlier today and almost got hit, as you know. Naruto was the one who almost hit me. He quickly brought me to safety and we went out to this place called Sketch Bar. We talked and it turns out we have a lot in common, even the fact that we are both being married off without our consent… But I didn't know his name,

and he also seems not to know I am the one who he is being forced to marry.

Although it is not my fault I can't help but feel terribly guilty, Sakura… He said he has a girl he likes and wants to be with. Now because of me it is all being taken away..."

"Ino, you're not taking anything away of your own free will. Hell, even you would not stoop that low."

"Hey, Forehead, watch it!" Said Ino angrily and she threw a pillow at Sakura's face. It hit her point blank.

Instead of getting angry, she simply threw it back at Ino and all of a sudden they laughed like little girls at a slumber party.

Too bad they didn't know what happened in the mean time.

Naruto could not help but be worried about Ino. Sure, he had just met her today but somehow she was already dear to him.

As Sakura shut the door he quickly snuck up behind the door and listened to the conversation.

After he heard the marriage story, he almost felt like fainting himself.


	7. Chapter 7

It took Naruto a few minutes to compose himself and back away from the door. He went to the kitchen to make himself a coffee and calm down a bit. Now, where was the kitchen? He started wandering through the huge mansion.

After who knows how long, Ino and Sakura finished their pillow fight. They both felt as light as the pillows they were throwing at each other, but Ino still could not help the feeling of uneasiness creeping into her heart.

She felt that somehow she had to stop this marriage from happening.

It wasn't just about her hating the idea of being sold off anymore. Although if she could spend more fun days with Naruto, seeing his contagious smile, maybe it wouldn't be a complete disaster after all.

What was at stake here was Naruto's happiness. He said there is a girl he likes. He should be free to pursue love with anyone he wants. Although Ino considered anyone would be lucky to be with her, let alone married to her, she did not want it to be forced.

So she got all serious and said:

"Sakura, we have to make a plan to stop this marriage from happening."

"Ino, come on, for once, don't be selfish. You..." 

"For once, I am not being selfish. I know Naruto likes another girl. He should be free to date her.

I do not want to steal his happiness. I don't care what happens with me. I just want him to be free and happy."

This took Sakura by surprise. Maybe Naruto was actually awakening a thoughtful and considerate side of Ino. This was new. Who knows what would happen if they were able to spend more time together…

As if Naruto read their minds, he burst into the room with a wide grin on his face.

This startled the girls and they yelled at him but he paid them no heed. Instead, with his usual flamboyant attitude, he walked up to them.

"Sakura-chan! Ino! We're going out! Sasuke-teme wants to meet at the Sketch Bar."

This caused Sakura to blush. She knew Sasuke from before, when Naruto was still living near her. When Naruto moved away, he moved away too. Sasuke was heir of the Uchiha Company, a very powerful import-export commerce.

Unlike Naruto he was much more dedicated to business so he hardly went out before. But the few times Sakura had actually seen him and spoken to him were enough to make her fall for him. He was reserved and cold most of the time but his intellect was sharp and Sakura found conversations with him interesting.

Ino, of course, instantly noticed and smirked. She knew who Sasuke was. Their families had been connected through business before, but she had no idea her best friend fell for the young Uchiha. Oh, this was going to be fun to watch.

Sakura turned to Ino and saw a wicked smirk on her face, and inwardly shuddered. She knew this meant Ino was up to no good.

Before she could say anything though, Ino pulled her along and they all went to Naruto's car together.

Sakura was seated front with Naruto while Ino sat alone in the back, thinking about everything.

 _What do I do now? I have to stop Naruto from marrying me and give Sakura a little push because knowing her, she will never make a move on Sasuke. Talk about having your hands full..._

-some time later-

As they arrived, they found Sasuke sitting at one of the porch tables. He waved them over and they all took their seats. Sakura moved to sit next to Naruto, however, Ino beat her to it. This meant she had to sit next to Sasuke. She hesitantly looked up to him, and saw the slightest of smiles on his face. She instantly smiled herself and the awkwardness seemed to disappear altogether.

Of course this was once again noticed by the sharp eyes of Ino. She quickly pulled Naruto by the arm and said: "We're going in to order! This place is packed, it will take long before some of the waiters come to us. See ya!"

"The usual for me," Sasuke told Naruto.

"A cherry smoothie and espresso", Sakura added.

And so, they were left alone as their best friends rushed inside.

Not knowing how to start the conversation, Sakura silently watched Sasuke's profile as he seemed to be thinking about something. He noticed her staring after a while and smirked.

"Something on my face, Sakura?"

"U-uh... No, Sasuke-kun, I was just staring into space, that's all..."

This earned her a chuckle from the usually serious Uchiha and she giggled herself.

"So... How did you all end up together today? I take it that seeing Naruto surprised you quite a bit."

"True! He brought Ino to my house, and once we saw each other, it was quite a surprise. But not as much of a surprise as what I found out next..."

"What do you mean?"

"You know Naruto is forced to an arranged marriage, don't you?"

"Hn."

"What if I told you that I now know Ino is the one he is supposed to marry?"

"No way. Does he know already? When he called me before the accident, he didn't know who the girl was."

"We take it that he has no idea, yet... Ino was the one who realized first after finding out Naruto was Minato-san's son."

"I see... Although I would have to say the two loudmouths are really suited for each other. Naruto and Hinata would simply be too different."

"Hinata... as in Hinata Hyuuga?"

"Yeah. Naruto's had a crush on her in ages. But he's never had the guts to confess. She seems to like him back but is just as silent."

"Oh boy..." Sakura said exasperatedly. Hinata Hyuuga was one of Ino's childhood friends. They weren't as close as Ino and Sakura but they were still close friends. If Ino knew about this she would feel even worse.

"Listen, Sasuke. Ino wants to stop this marriage from happening. If she fails to stop it, and finds out Hinata is the girl Naruto likes, this will get messy. Hinata is Ino's close friend. Ino may be loud and selfish but she will never let her friends get hurt."

"Hn... There isn't much we can do, Sakura. This is the work of Inoichi and you know he won't stop until he gets what he wants."

Sakura could only nod with a solemn look on her face.

Meanwhile, our two favorite loudmouths were inside the busy cafe trying to make their order.

"So, we know what Sakura-chan and Sasuke-teme are having. He likes black tea best. So plain, dattebayo! I want Indian Chai tea and some exotic fruit along with it. What about you, Ino?"

Ino looked through the menu. All things seemed appealing but one name stood out. Sunny Orange Tea. It reminded her of someone she was currently with.

"Sunny Orange Tea it is! And I will have the exotic fruit too."

"Oh, so you like that too! Cool!"

She opened her mouth to say "I like you too" but she stopped herself before she could say it. She was shocked by what she was about to say. _I like him_ _already?_ _! No way! This is bad..._

Naruto, noticing her suddenly baffled expression, took her hand out of concern. His touch jolted her out of her stupor and she regained her composure.

"Say, Naruto... Have you noticed something today as we came to the cafe?"

"You mean that Sakura-chan totally has a crush on Sasuke-teme?"

Ino smirked. "Exactly. That's why I insisted we go inside to order. It was only part of the plan."

"So what is the next part of the plan?"

"We order ours to-go and get lost. What do you think?"

"I like the way you think, Ino."

Although he only complimented her way of thinking, she couldn't help but feel happy about it.

She also felt happy that she was going to spend some time with him alone. Not like it mattered much in the end. Still, to her, it meant more than she was willing to admit.


	8. Chapter 8

Sasuke and Sakura were sitting in silence for some time when their drinks arrived.

"Here are your drinks," a waiter said, breaking their train of thought.

"Thank you", they said in unison, which caused the usual 'hn' from Sasuke and a giggle from Sakura.

Sakura's giggling was cut short though, when she realized something very important.

"Sasuke-kun… Our drinks are here."

"But our friends aren't." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Exactly! I can't believe they bailed on us!"

"I can't say it's a big surprise to be honest. Wouldn't be the first time."

Sakura was about to reply when Sasuke's next statement caught her off guard.

"At least I'm enjoying the company as opposed to being alone."

She blushed and smiled. At least he didn't call her annoying, as he calls everything else.

She took a sip of her Cherry Coke and began talking.

"Where do you think they left? And more importantly, why did they do that?"

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly before replying: " It's not surprising for Naruto to do that. But he would always let me know beforehand. I think it has something to do with Ino."

Sakura knew her best friend has probably influenced Naruto somehow, since they are both born troublemakers. A part of her wished that they got close and Ino got her happy ending, but Ino was set on making things right, to be specific, not allowing the marriage to happen.

"What about Hinata-san? Has Naruto made a move on her yet?"

"Who, the dobe? He has been completely oblivious to her feelings for years."

Sakura inwardly cringed because Naruto wasn't the only one who had been oblivious to someone's feelings for years. However, she decided to stick to the subject at hand and leave her own feelings out of this.

Sasuke continued, however. "Now word has is that she is dating the youngest son of Inuzuka. Kiba is his name."

"Kiba? He's liked Hinata for years. He's a good friend of mine. You could always see how he treats her as something special, it was obvious from the start. I think he deserves her more than Naruto. I hope she gets the love she deserves from him. Hey... Have you told Naruto?"

"No, I will let him find out on his own."

"That's really harsh..."

"He needs to own up to her own feelings." After this statement, he gave her a deep, meaningful look which made her feel as if he was piercing into her soul. "We all do. Sometimes, we just take more time thinking the person will keep waiting for us forever."

She couldn't hold his intense gaze and looked away. Sure, she had been waiting for what already felt like forever. To make it worse, she was still waiting. She wished she could find someone like Hinata found Kiba and get out of this never-ending spiral of unrequited love.

Not paying attention to the drink in her hand, she was promptly brought out of her thoughts by a feeling of a completely soaked lap.

Meaning her brand new skirt has just been ruined.

"Ah damn it!" she yelled, startled.

Sasuke couldn't help thinking she was somehow adorable, although she had just made a mess of herself in public and he hated that almost all eyes were on them now. Somehow he didn't mind. Strange...

Instead of losing himself in thoughts just like she did, he promptly spoke.

"Let's go. I'm done with my drink so I'll drive you home to change."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. That's very nice of you."

Her reply earned her an approving "hn" and a smirk she didn't notice since she was walking behind him.

The cafe wasn't too far from Sakura's home, about a 10-minute drive. She gave him the address,

he typed it into his GPS and they were off.

Realizing that their time would soon be cut short, Sakura couldn't help feeling sad. This was the first time she could actually muster up the courage to speak to him normally.

They've known each other for a while, both going to same elementary and high school, and then later meeting at events that both of their families were invited to. However, due to Sakura's shyness, she could never hold a normal conversation with Sasuke. All it entailed was a "Hi, how are you?" "Hn. Good, you?" "Same, thanks for asking, Sasuke-kun."

And now she would have to go home, he'd leave and who knows when they'd meet again.

Sasuke parked the car in front of her mansion and, before she got a chance to leave, he spoke.

"If you have nothing to do, I'll wait for you to change and take you somewhere. After all, we haven't had drinks together properly since someone spilled hers all over her clothes."

At this point he couldn't contain a chuckle, which turned to full-on laughter while Sakura just sat there completely dumbfounded and thinking she must have had some crazy stroke of luck.

Or maybe all hell broke loose. Who knows, but Sasuke Uchiha was actually asking her out for a drink.

In his own peculiar way.

Maybe she could stick around a little longer and see what comes out of this.


End file.
